(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to golf equipment, and more particularly to golf putters. Specifically, the present invention relates to a golf putter head having an elongate flat blade for contacting the golf ball. More specifically, the invention relates to a golf putter head which has a contact area between the blade and the golf ball which is linear, of narrow width, and which has a contact area that is essentially horizontal and which spans the dimple diameter of the ball.
(2) Description of the Related Art
The traditional putter has a vertical blade with a flat surface and a vertical height usually one inch (25 mm) or greater. Subsequent traditional putters have a similar geometry on the face allowing for flat, convex, but not concave faces. The contact surface is often distinguished by the shape of the mass behind the vertical face. There have been putters with curved contact faces from heel to toe on the putter. This feature is permissible under United States Golf Association (U.S.G.A.) rules. There also have been putters that are totally cylindrical in geometry. Existing putters come in many sizes and geometries. There is often heel to toe weighting to resist the turning of the vertical positioned putter blade.
The rules of golf equipment are controlled by the U.S.G.A. for America. The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews (R.&A.) is the governing authority for the rules of golf in more than one hundred affiliated nations. More recently, in a written ‘statement of principles’ published jointly by the R.&A. and the U.S.G.A., it was acknowledged that, “History has proved that it is impossible to foresee the developments in golf equipment which advancing technology will deliver.” However, both the R.&A. and the U.S.G.A. remain vigilant when considering the equipment rules. The main objective of U.S.G.A. Rules 4 and 5 and Appendices II and III is to protect golf's best traditions, to prevent an over-reliance on technological advances rather than skill, and to ensure that skill is the dominant element of success throughout the game. Therefore, any club design must consider these rules if the club is to be deemed legal by the governing authorities of golf. Any putter must be compatible with the U.S.G.A. rules of golf in regards to being plain in shape, with runners that do not extend into the face, a width that is greater than the depth, a face without concavity, a face angle of no more than fifteen degrees, and an angle of shaft to the head of ten degrees incline or greater. There is no rule regarding the vertical depth of the face of the putter.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,730,529 to Donofrio teaches a stroke indicating golf club operable for visually presenting the area of contact of the club head with the golf ball. The club can also be used for normal golfing. The club has a plurality of pins extending forward and backward through the club head which are displaced physically upon contact with the ball to retain a contact impression of the golf ball with the club head.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,165,076 to Cella teaches a putter with the blade face formed with a longitudinal edge, which is the normal ball striking component of the golf club, being located above the center line of the ball in blade striking position. On the reverse side of the blade there is provided a secondary ball striking edge located below the center line of the ball.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,294,122 to Longo teaches a golf putter having a head designed to function effectively, both on the green and on the fringe as well as in the higher grass areas. The head has a rectangular body with a flat base formed with comb-like longitudinal ridges or runners which serve to part grass blades during forward and backward movement. The head is a horizontal, upwardly positioned ball striking surface and has a downwardly tapered top surface having a ball pick-up socket at its rear edge.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,467,987 to Perkins et al. teaches a golf putter having a club head with a striking face comprising a striking edge defined by at least two substantially planar surfaces which engages a golf ball at a point below the center of the golf ball.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,531,439 to Azzarella teaches a putter for imparting rotation to a golf ball during putting. The putter includes a club handle with a sole plate attached to a lower end thereof. A face plate projects from a forward edge of the sole plate and is oriented at an orthogonal angle relative to the plate. A frictional insert is mounted within a slot of the face plate and operates to impart a rotation to the ball during contact.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,542,675 to Micciche et al. teaches a golf putter head adaptor for providing a putter head with an elastomeric striking surface. The adaptor includes a central portion adapted to cover a substantial portion of the striking surface of a putter head, an upper lip portion adapted to engage the top surface of a putter head and a bottom lip portion adapted to engage the bottom surface of a putter head. The adaptor also includes an elastomeric portion associated with the central portion of the attachment layer such that it covers a sufficient portion of the striking surface of the putter head to allow the striking of a golf ball exclusively with the elastomeric portion of the striking surface. Micciche et al. also teach a putter including the putter head adaptor and a snap-on putter head adaptor for providing an elastomeric striking surface to a putter head. The putter head adaptor can be employed to adapt an existing putter to provide it with an elastomeric striking surface and it can be removed and exchanged in order to adapt the putter to the prevailing playing conditions.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,718,644 to Donofrio teaches an insert member for a golf putter. One face of the insert is adapted to fittingly engage the putting face of a head of the golf putter. The other face of the insert, which engages the golf ball, comprises a regular, elongated, curved surface such as an arc section of a cylinder. The elongated curved surface is longitudinally positioned in alignment with a longitudinal axis of the putter head and is preferably of a dimension and position for putting engagement with a golf ball below the equator of the ball. The insert is comprised of titanium, titanium alloy, anodized aluminum, or high strength plastic.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,155,934 to Pinns teaches a putter. In one form, the club has a head with a ground engaging surface and a ball striking surface and an elongate shaft which is connected to the head. The ball striking surface extends upwardly from the ground engaging surface a predetermined distance that is no more than 0.8 inches (20.3 mm).
U.S. Pat. No. 6,270,423 to Webb teaches a golf club head with interchangeable pads or inserts, each of which is composed of material having a different density. The mounting face detachably anchors or holds the selected pad or insert in place by screws, clips, adhesive or the like. Guides are provided on the club head for aligning the pad or insert with the mounting face.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,340,336 to Loconte teaches a putter head for a golf club designed to strike the upper portion only of a golf ball. The club face has an upper vertical face and a lower face constructed at such an angle away from the golf ball so as to prevent contact with the lower part of the golf ball. Additionally, the shaft connects to the club head on the side of the club head for right or left handed golfers. Alternatively, the shaft connects intermediate of the club head having grooves therein for insertion of weights onto the upper leading and trailing edges of the putter head for balancing the putter head.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,450,894 to Sun et al. teaches a golf putter head having a central portion made of a relatively light weight material such as a light alloy of extruded aluminum or extruded plastic alloy. The central portion can be extruded. The face plate can be formed from a light polymer or rubber material. The toe and heel portions of the head are separately formed of a relatively heavy material such as sintered tungsten or tungsten copper. The toe and heel portions are similar to each other and are attached to the central portion by means of pins as well as screws which engage threads formed in the central portion. Employing a central portion which is much lighter in weight than the end portions provides an anti-twisting motion of inertia to the club head.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,464,598 to Miller teaches a golf club with a wedge face, a rounded sole, and a putting face located along a blade area between the wedge face and a front portion of the rounded sole. The putting face is located at a height above the crown of the rounded sole so that the putting face strikes a golf ball above the equator of the ball to impart top spin when putting.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,517,450 to Klyve teaches a golf club of the putter type, with a club head with a level, vertical or largely vertically positioned strike area. The strike area is arranged as a lengthwise extended tension bar, which is clamped to two fastening clamps at the opposite ends of the club head. The tension bar has, in an area between the two opposite end parts, a main part which extends freely over a hollow in the club head.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,520,865 to Fioretti teaches a golf putter which has a vertical arcuate striking face wherein the height of the striking face is at least as high as the diameter of a golf ball. The arcuate face is preferably in the shape of the contour of a golf ball. The putter head has a top surface with a top face edge, a bottom surface with a bottom face edge, rear and opposing edge faces and a vertical arcuate striking face extending from the bottom face edge to the top face edge so that the top face edge overhangs the bottom face edge.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,524,193 to Devore teaches a golf putter head which has a cylindrical body with a defined flat face on top. The body is made up of an outer shell of an aluminum alloy and an inner core of brass. The head has a groove across the flat face of the top and at its center, with indicator material carried in the groove for alignment purposes. The head is sized so that the convex surface of the cylindrical body, at its widest point, will strike a golf ball at its corresponding widest point.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,533,678 to Johnson teaches a golf putter that has an interchangeable striking face, while maintaining the same head, shaft and grip. The various striking faces are made of different materials with different rebound characteristics.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,554,721 to Woodward et al. teaches a golf club head comprising a main body that defines a front face. The front face includes projections extending from the front face. The ends of the projections define a plurality of individual contact surfaces for striking a golf ball. The projections prevent a golf ball from contacting the front face thereby resulting in a change of the golf ball general contact area.
U.S. Design Pat. No. D396257 to Spano teaches an ornamental design for a golf club head. It is not clear from the drawings how the club is used.
The physics of the putter contact area with the golf ball is important in the development of a golf putter. It is germane to this description to review the physics of the putter contact area with the golf ball. The typical force of impact during putting results in little or no deformation of the ball in contrast to the impact imparted by other golf clubs, especially the driver. Therefore, the contact area results in minimal deformation of the ball. The contact is limited to the surface of the golf ball and does not progress to the base of the golf ball's dimples. The striking face of the putter whether curved or perfectly straight makes less than 0.125 in2 (80.6 mm2) of contact with the spherical golf ball. The geometry of the contact area is circular whether created with a flat or curved putter face. It would be coincidental if the area contacted by the blade of the ball symmetrically surrounded any single dimple to produce an even surface of contact. The usual contact area is varied and is rarely symmetrical. The perfect circular contact area would allow the resultant direction to be along any of the 360°. The asymmetrical contact area also possibly has a resultant angular direction force depending upon how the blade contacted the irregular surface of the golf ball.
While the related art describes alternative ways to address improving putter performance, there is still a need for a superior solution.